President Halimah Yacob’s address to Parliament last Monday touched on an issue of concern among many Singaporeans. The concern revolves around the need to prevent meritocracy – which rewards individuals according to their contribution to society and not because of status derived from birth or family connections – from ossifying into a system where inherited advantages and privileges put some people unfairly ahead of others in the meritocratic race. Once such a system becomes entrenched and perpetuates itself over generations, it produces stratified societies that defeat the purpose of the meritocratic principle itself. The challenge is to avoid the dangers of a static meritocracy by investing the financial and educational resources of the nation in a continuous meritocracy, which broadens opportunities for citizens throughout life, regardless of their starting point.

Towards the end of achieving an open and inclusive meritocracy, the President’s Address outlined four key priorities in terms of official policies and the values which underpin them. The priorities are the need to resist stratification, strengthen social safety nets, continue to build a city whose ecology preserves its quality of life, and reinforce Singaporeans’ responsibilities towards one another.